Female grouse, red type, feathers from flanks. Natural size.
Fig. a and c (from No. 1864). g and h (from No. 226), and k (from No. 632),
are varieties of the spring flank-feathers.
Fig b (from No. 575) is a flank-feather from a very black hen.
Fig d (from No. 1864) is an example of what is termed fine-barred dark-red
winter-plumage, with narrow blank bars or lines on rather dark rufous
chestnut, the latter being slightly bleached towards the tip.
Fig e and f (from No. 1864) and l and m (from No. 664) illustrates intermediate
stages of colouration, the feathers probably having broken through
the skin when winter-conditions prevailed, and having completed their
growth under summer-conditions.
Fig i and n (from No, 664) illustrate the reasoning upon which is based the
view just mentioned; of these two feathers there is no doubt that n was
being grown much later than i, and therefore more in summer-conditions,
producing summer breeding-plumage.
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